Cleaning lady admits cleaning out the silver

WEST CHESTER — When Jennifer Marie Dugger lost her boyfriend to a fatal drug overdose, a Landenberg woman who knew her through the man’s family tried to give her a helping hand. But that act of kindness cost the woman dearly.

On Friday, Dugger, who told Common Pleas Judge William P. Mahon that she suffers from an addiction to cocaine and alcohol, admitted to stealing thousands of dollars in jewelry and silver from the woman over a period of two years — items she sold to a Maryland pawn shop for money she could use to support her addiction.

She had been hired to clean the woman’s house, and had access to the home when her employer was not in.

In addition, Dugger, who was accompanied in court by her attorney, Alex Silow of West Chester, also admitted to stealing several thousand dollars of similar items from a friend and neighbor of the woman, who had recommended her to him as a housecleaner.

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“She should have known better,” Mahon remarked in accepting the plea.

Dugger pleaded guilty to two counts of theft by unlawful taking. The felony charges each carry with them a possible maximum sentence of 3½ to seven years in state prison, although guidelines will likely call for a shorter period of incarceration. Dugger will be sentenced later this year, after the completion of a pre-sentencing report.

Dugger, 27, of North East, Md., appeared contrite and remorseful during the plea proceeding, crying when she told Mahon of her drug problems. She said she began using cocaine when dating her former boyfriend, who died in 2011.

According to a criminal affidavit written by state Trooper Matthew Pauly, state police were called to investigate a report of missing jewelry and silver by Nancy Latimer at her home in Franklin in October. Latimer told a trooper she rarely wore the jewelry, so did not know when it might have gone missing. She said she last remembered seeing the silverware in October 2012.

In November, another trooper was sent to the home of Richard Squadron to investigate the theft of silverware and jewelry. Squadron said he had not seen any signs of forced entry, and that the jewelry had been kept in an upstairs bedroom and the silver in the kitchen.

On Nov. 29, Squadron called state police and told them that he had recently spoken with Latimer, and that the discovered that both of them had valuables stolen from their home. He also said that both employed Dugger as their cleaning lady.

Pauly, assigned to the case, began cross checking pawnshops across the region with Dugger’s identity. He learned that she was a frequent customer of the North East Gold and Coin shop, and had sold them “extensive amounts” of silver and jewelry between 2001 and 2013.

Pauly collected records of all the transactions and showed them to Latimer and Squadron. Latimer was able to identify her silver collection from a monogrammed “K,” and said it was valued at $10,000. Dugger had pawned items from the collection in April, May, July and September 2013.

She was also able to identify gold and diamond jewelry that Dugger sold, all very valuable. The total loss that Latimer estimated from the thefts was $48,935. She said she had known Dugger for several years and had given her unlimited access to her home to clean.

Squadron, who said he had been introduced to Dugger by Latimer several years ago, also was able to identify jewelry stolen from his home in the pawn transactions, including gold and emerald rings, and a gold chain with a round ruby from Tiffany. He estimated his loss at $62,247.

Dugger was arrested in January.

The prosecutor in the case, Assistant District Attorney Brian Burack, told Mahon that he would provide the court with a more specific amount of the amount of the thefts when she is sentenced, but estimated that it would be between $25,000 and $50,000.